In an ideal world, no-kill shelters are safe havens where homeless animals stay as long as it takes to find their forever homes.In reality, these places are often strained for resources, forcing many to turn away animals that may be hard to place.

For years the Toronto Humane Society used its low 6 percent euthanasia rate as a marketing tool, easily outnumbering other big-city shelters that regularly put down 50 percent or more of the animals they accept.

Julie Morris, senior vice president of Community Outreach for the ASPCA, notes that shelter management usually has good intentions, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed.She also says that some shelters can become so fixated on low euthanasia rates that they begin to overlook suffering.

I understand that with proper management, no-kill shelters play an important role in the community, taking dogs off the street and educating potential adopters.But until every person in the world truly understands the responsibility of pet ownership, we will continue to have more dogs than potential homes.With limited resources, particularly in recent economic times, euthanasia seems like a necessary evil.